A thread for 8+ Westminster, St Paul's, Sussex House, Kings etc

[user8957365]

Merry Christmas!
Just the small matter of getting through the 8+ exams and wondered if there are other parents out there who might be interested in joining this thread.
Did any of your sons sit Kings in December? How did they find it? Apparently only 14 places going - gulp!
How are you preparing for St Paul's etc? If they are parents who have already been through the process and can offer any advice it will be very gratefully received.
Cheers

[Onebusymother1]

HHks, Maths was definitely at a higher level at SPJ than WUS this year. I had always assumed Westminster was full of gifted mathematics perhaps that’s a myth? I do think WUS looked more closely at the broader personalities and capabilities of the boys this year than they usually do, Head or Lowers seemingly not that keen on the quirky gifted boys her predecessor adored. SPJ seems more obsessed with the brain - Head didn’t really ask us about my son’s hobbies at the parents interview at all! Your comments are interesting because I had assumed WUS this year chose boys who delivered the strongest English papers but it sounds like your son is stronger in maths!

We will never really know how boys were selected but thanks for bouncing off ideas.

We now have a lovely delimma - WUS or SPJ? Tough decision. Vying towards SPJ for the space and dynamic young Head.

Well done to our little men for coming through this horrid process, regardless of the outcome! There’s a large glass of wine with my name on it this evening.

[hhks]

Onebusymother1, congratulations on the happy problem to have!
I knew that SPJ always had harder maths papers and easier english papers than WUS, and that's why I expected DS to get through SPJ comfortably, given they also taking more boys. it came a bit shock to his current teachers as they all think SPJ is a good fit for DS. but anyway, i think he will be fine in WUS, time to brush up his reading and writing now...

[Roseredvelvet]

Hi, I wish I'd found this thread earlier. We'll done to all your boys! Ds sat SPJ & KC, anxiously awaiting the mail for KC today. Anyone else?

[user8957365]

We are waiting for Kings too but not at all hopeful with only 14 places available. Post is late. So frustrating. Has anyone heard from Kings today (8+)? Roseredvelvet - did you get an offer from SPJ?

Onebusymother I agree with your comments about WUS being a strange year for admissions. They don't seem to have picked the most academic boys this year. Why is that? Are there any current WUS parents who can shed some light on this?

[Roseredvelvet]

Hi, yes we received an offer from SPJ & have just had the post, reserve list for Kings. I'm not holding my breath, I know SPJ made 44 offers for 36 places so it seems unlikely KC will go to reserve? Hope you've had some good news!

[hhks]

user8957365, I don't agree that WUS has not picked up most academically strong boys. I know two super academic boys received offers from both WUS and SPJ, and both are going for WUS. Just getting the boys to sing a line or two doesn't mean WUS is not going academic.

[user230930]

Where is this feeling about WUS coming from?

[user8957365]

Roseredvelvet - well done for making the reserve list at Kings. That's excellent given very few places going there and you have a brilliant offer with SP which is excellent anyway so well done to your son! My son has been waitlisted at Kings too and also at WUS. Very frustrating.

We have an offer to SPJ and also Sussex House which is a very academic local prep near our home. Likely to accept Sussex House if WUS doesn't come through. Likely to let Kings go - bit further away.

Hhks I agree with your point that WUS can't have chosen their boys from the singing alone but it was a whole lesson, the biggest chunk of the session and obviously a priority!

I know this may sound like sour grapes but my reasons for questioning WUS is that they seem to be looking for all rounders this year rather than intellectual brilliance as Onebusymother1 is suggesting. Out of the 3 boys I know who were offered WUS 2 did not even perform well enough at SPJ to be invited for an interview, both boys have consistently performed in the bottom half of the year. I am dubious. The 3rd boy did make interview at SPJ but was waitlisted. It's just a bit odd that 3 boys declined by SPJ end up being offered WUS. Usually it works the other way round doesn't it?

[hhks]

user8957365, actually I am more relieved to hear that less academic boys are going to WUS as well, as I am a bit worried DS might struggle in WUS as the 2 boys I know of are super super academic, 3-4 years ahead of NC level. As for DS, he is comfortably 2.5 years ahead, but I see other boys much stronger.

[Roseredvelvet]

user8957365, well done to your son! Would you turn SP down and do the 11+? Dd has just sat the 11+ and I never wish to relive that experience again lol. There were over a 1100 children @ one of the schools for 110 places and between 700-900 for 50 places at the rest. I fear we will be going through clearing!!! Most of the kids at dcs prep were also tutored & Kumoned since year 1, despite being at a pushy prep. We never did any of that & I do wonder if the schools are able to see through the fog?

[Onebusymother1]

I don’t think I suggested in my earlier post that WUS want less academic boys, however I believe they looked at broader attributes whereas SPJ put a lot more emphasis on academic ability alone seemingly not wanting to take any risks with candidates who didn’t hit a certain mark. I too know of boys who didn’t pass SPJ exams but have been offered WUS. That may sound odd to some but I think looking for academic differences between the two schools is splitting hairs.

I think the really interesting candidates are the boys who got invited for interviews at WUS and SPJ, being able to pass both exams to a high standard is quite telling. At interview it can come down to luck, whether the teacher on the day takes a shine to your child or not, which other boys they are with in the group activity etc. Anything can happen!

At every school there will be some dubious offers made, it happens every year and I certainly know of a boy with WUS offer who I wouldn’t have thought in a million years had a hope there ..

My son has offers to both schools and we are really struggling to decide! I like Westminster for the prestige and the name but if I’m being honest with myself I warmed more to the Head at SPJ, liked the boys better and felt the school was more successful at achieveing exceptional academic standards whilst also managing to create a “normal” vibe for the boys.

First world delimma as they say ..

[user8957365]

Roseredvelvet we are going round in circles between SPJ and Sussex House, two very good but very different schools! I've heard If he goes to Sussex House he doesn't have to leave until 13+ so quite a few years of freedom before he has to sit exams again and at that age we can always consider boarding. This evening we seem to have done a U-turn and decided it would be foolish to let SPJ go, I know how difficult SPJ it is to get in. I expect there will be more U turns before the final decision but our sons may end up together at SPJ - happy days!!

[holidaynowplease]

The suggestion that WU has somehow accepted boys who are not very academic is misguided. Please do not listen to rumours. This is the most academically challenging school in the UK, not just in London. Standards are exceptional. Most of the boys in my son's class I look at in awe. We are holding our own but only just.

If your son isn't performing significantly above his classmates at your current school, doesn't have 1 or 2 subjects that he truly excels at, this is definitely not the school for you. Unless you intend to spend a ton of money and a ton of time privately tutoring your son to keep up do not send your child to WU if you know in your heart he scraped in.

For boys who belong there it is the most amazing place to spend your school life. The boys are quirky and interesting, they are consistently stretched and kept engaged. The Master and teachers are wonderful.

Good luck with your decisions. We had to choose between 3 schools too when we joined and it was a difficult to say the least!

[7plusdad]

I have a boy at WUS and fully agree with the post above. A wonderful and special home for the boys that it suits, but if your son isn't at the absolute pinnacle of his current school or one of the boys who has easily breezed multiple offers from SPJ, Sussex House etc in the exams, he will struggle there and you will miss an opportunity for him to spend six happy years elsewhere. The academic standards and quality of all staff can't really be questioned, but you would be very ill advised to trade a moment of 7+/8+ school gate glory for a situation where your son can't keep up and is constantly being outshone by others.

[holidaynowplease]

7plusdad absolutely and I am so glad you joined this thread to steer away ill advised parents.
Very occasionally boys do get in at WU either through excessive tutoring or sheer luck but it doesn't take long for the cracks to show and they have trouble coping. I would like to think we are all parents first and competitors second. Being able to state your child is heading to Westminster of course carries prestige and "school gate glory" but at what cost? I have seen a boy struggle every day during what should be happy school years and it is not pleasant to watch.
It is not just about academics, everything is done at the highest level - chess super brains, grade 8 musicians, we have them all at the Under School. The diversity of talent is astonishing and thrilling to watch.

It is a wonderful school and we love it but definitely not for everyone.

[Roseredvelvet]

user8957365 good luck with your decision! SPJ is a 10 min drive from me and I love the outdoor space. All of these schools are wonderful and will offer dcs amazing opportunities!

[drinkingcoffee]

I am so glad I found this forum. My son sat the 8+ too and he has been waitlisted at Westminster and Kings. He is at a school that he can stay at until 13+ but it's not the right environment for him - it's co ed, not at all academic and most of the time he is bored out of his minds.

Our current school do not prepare children for the 8+, he is such a bright lad, has done so well to get this far and breaks my heart he didn't get a firm offer from either of the schools.

Is there anyone on this tread with an offer at Kings or Westminster that you might not need?

[user230930]

user8957365, Sussex House predominantly does boarding at 13+ so I don't think it's just consider it. It's a fabulous school where the headmaster has been there 30 years so has a strong sense of vision.

[njshore]

If you think that WUS is an academic 'lightweight' and may be lowering its admission standards, take a look at the record-breaking Queen's Scholars (Westminster School) and King's Scholars (Eton) awarded to WUS boys over the last few years. In 2017 alone, 6 out of 8 Queen's Scholarships were awarded to WUS boys; all 4 Honorary Scholarships (QS standards but non-boarding) also went to WUS boys; and 3 WUS boys received Exhibitions Prizes (close to QS standards). The Mathematics Prize went to a WUS boy. Lastly, WUS produced 2 King's Scholars at Eton. All this info is available on the Westminster School website.

By now, I think the school knows the types of boys who will do well at WUS. Granted, the HM is relatively new and ditto the admissions staff so they may not be as familiar with the school culture but there are other long-term staffers involved in the process.

It is a super busy school for all boys of all talents, not just academics, and many opportunities for boys to shine in all areas. It is a school where it's cool to be smart.

[Onebusymother1]

To be fair njshore I think the scholars and incredible achievements you are referring to is in respect of boys who joined quite a few years ago. The observations made above is specifically about this year’s candidates. I must say the admissions office seem inefficient and unresponsive. It is reassuring to read that the people involved are new in the role because they haven’t created a great impression on me and neither did the head of the lower school who seemed heavily involved in the selection process. In my mind there is a question mark over one boy I know who was offered a place and I do wonder how he slipped through.

This year may just be a blip whilst the head of lower school and her admissions team settle in. Even exceptional schools go through such periods but nothing can take away the fact that most people would agree Westminster is the number 1 school in the UK. I feel privileged that my son has been offered the opportunity to attend.

[godricshollow]

It's not the number one school in the UK. There isn't such a thing. There are 3 phenomenal London day schools for boys and parents oftentimes will choose the closest if lucky enough to have a choice, because there's not much between them. The school with the best overall exam results in 2017 was a girls' school. Westminster came a close 3rd.

[njshore]

"To be fair njshore I think the scholars and incredible achievements you are referring to is in respect of boys who joined quite a few years ago. "

True, but I don't think the HM back then was highly regarded as an academic heavyweight and most people didn't have a good impression of her either, internally or externally. I'm sorry to hear that you and other parents didn't have a great first impression of the school this time around but, rest assured, that the people you are referring to play a very minor role in shaping the boys and only in the early years. It is truly the talented teachers in the upper years that are gold standard and it is they who help produce the amazing WUS's academic results.

[Onebusymother1]

Thanks njshore for your insights. For prospective parents we only get a tiny glimpse of the schools we apply to and little impressions here and there; interactions with individuals can shape our perceptions!
So would you say the admissions office and the head of lower school aren’t really decision makers? Ultimately is it the Master who chooses his boys even at the junior end of the school - 7+/8+ ?

[hhks]

njshore, thank you for your helpful insight. how is the workload like in WUS? i know they will be kept busy during school hours, how about after school? do they have a lot of homework? or do they work on extra materials themselves? what time do they usually go to bed at night?

[njshore]

"It's not the number one school in the UK. There isn't such a thing. There are 3 phenomenal London day schools for boys and parents oftentimes will choose the closest if lucky enough to have a choice, because there's not much between them. The school with the best overall exam results in 2017 was a girls' school. Westminster came a close 3rd."

Girls at this school leave it to go to Westminster's Sixth Form and it's considered a "step up". Also, every year there are boys who leave the other top London boys' schools, like SPS, KCS, HABS Boys, to go to Westminster School but never the other way around unless they're doing poorly at Westminster.